Is a New Carotid Revascularization Technique Viable?

For decades, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been the main technique performed for carotid revascularization. CEA has been demonstrated in clinical trials to be useful for stroke prevention in symptomatic, severe internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis and, to a lesser extent, for select patients with asymptomatic stenosis. Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a newer technique in which an incision is made in the common carotid artery and a stent placed in the ICA, avoiding the transfemoral artery approach of prior carotid stenting procedures. In this analysis, investigators compared the results of CEA versus TCAR in a large national registry in the U.S. During the study period, 2962 patients underwent TCAR and35,063 patients und…